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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef stew with tender, fork-tender beef chunks and thick, glossy gravy. Cook low for 8 hours so the potatoes and carrots stay hearty, then finish with peas for a bright bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and seasoning coating
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck roast Cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Stew base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Vegetables
  • 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes Cut into chunks.
  • 4 carrots Cut into 1-inch pieces.
  • 2 celery Sliced stalks.
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Finishing
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Toss the beef with flour, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Brown in batches in hot olive oil for 4-5 minutes per batch, until browned on the outside, then transfer to the slow cooker (look for deep-brown edges).
Build the flavor base
  1. Cook the diced onion in the same pan for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant (don’t let it burn).
  2. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Transfer the loosened browned fond to the slow cooker (the liquid should look brown and glossy).
Slow cook
  1. Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots, celery, dried thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender (you should be able to press a beef cube with a spoon and it yields).
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the frozen peas and cook uncovered or covered for the last 10 minutes, until bright green (avoid overcooking). Remove the bay leaves and top with chopped fresh parsley before serving for a fresh color cue.

Notes

For the thickest stew, don’t skip browning the beef and deglazing the pan—those browned bits make the gravy taste richer. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave. Freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight) and stir well when reheating. For a lighter option, use leaner stew meat or trim excess fat from the beef chuck roast.